From Jal Khambata

NEW DELHI: In a sudden move, Union Cabinet Secretary Prabhat
Kumar issued a new circular stating that the Vajpayee Government
had "full powers" and soon thereafter the government carried out
a major bureaucratic reshuffle affecting eight top IAS officers.

The most powerful Home Secretary B. P. Singh was virtually
denigrated as Health Secretary and in comes in his place the 1965
batch Uttar Pradesh cadre IAS officer Kamal Pandey, who was
hitherto the Union Agriculture Secretary. health Secretary K K
Buxi goes to Planning Commission as an advisor.

The Cabinet Secretary's circular dated May 1 but received by the
Secretaries only on Monday almost turns upside down his own
earlier circular of April 18 issued on "Conduct of Business of
the Government."

In continuation of the April 18 circular, the new one clarifies
that "the present government is not a caretaker government under
the Constitution and it has full powers, though they are to be
used with discretion."

"This implies that even policy decisions could be taken if they
are absolutely necessary and brook no delay," says the circular,
directing the secretaries to immediately communicate its
contents to their respective ministers.

The clarificatory circular comes in the wake of controversy as
to the powers of the Vajpayee Government to take policy
decisions or any decision that has major financial implication.
The Congress has already met the President and protested against
the Government conducting as if it was not a caretaker government.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister P Rangarajan Kumarmangalam and
Urban Development Minister Ram Jethmalani are reported to have
strongly protested when the bureaucrats had brought to their
notice the earlier circular of the Cabinet Secretary stating
that they cannot take policy decisions.

The Cabinet Secretary had reportedly obtained an OK from the
Prime Minister's office before issuing the previous circular and
yet he reluctantly issued the clarificatory circular after
Attorney General Soli Sorabji reportedly gave the opinion that
there was no Constitutional bar on the government taking any
decision that a regular government can take. END.
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